


The Life and Trials of Cassandra M. Drake

by BrothersDrake



Category: Uncharted (Video Games)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-22
Updated: 2018-04-29
Packaged: 2019-04-26 11:20:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,561
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14401083
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BrothersDrake/pseuds/BrothersDrake
Summary: Snapshots of Cassie Drake throughout the years, in no particular order.





	1. Chapter 1

_May 21st, 2023_

_Filman's Indoor Jungle-Gym and Arcade_

_Five years old_

* * *

 

Cassie didn't understand grown ups.

She peered at her parents sitting by the cafe with the other adults from her perch atop the rope course, hidden from view behind a large block pillar. They were laughing and munching on pizza and Cassie couldn't for the life of her understand  _why on earth_ would they rather eat pizza than climb across the the arcade, but it suited her just fine. She could almost touch the ceiling from her spot! Grownups would just tell her not to do it; well, except _maybe_ her Uncle Sam. Uncle Sam always helped Cassie on her adventures.

Adverting her eyes to the other children attending the party, all huddled up around a glowing arcade game, Cassie felt a little left out. Maddie's parents had invited the whole class to her birthday party and since her mommy and Cassie's mommy had become good friends, Cassie had been forced to attended, even though she had tried to act sick right before time to leave. It wasn't until Cassie's daddy had informed her that there would be a rope course to climb that she dropped the act and thought maybe it wouldn't be so bad.

Cassie was wrong.

Just like in school, the kids kept their distance from her. As soon as she had walked in and Maddie greeted her hello, she had run off with the group she was now centered in and Cassie made a beeline for the ropes. It was fun for a while. She had made it to the end all by herself and waved to her parents, before going back and redoing the course again. This time when she tried to wave to her parents, they were in deep conversation with Kenny's parents and paying Cassie no mind. Soon the course became boring, which brought the five year old blonde to her current predicament.

_What next?_

Glancing around the arcade, Cassie found it to be terribly boring. There was the cafe her parents sat at that seemed to be a grownups only zone, because no kids were anywhere in sight. Underneath her, the arcade games light up brightly and made loud noises when you walked by. Cassie figured it was meant to capture her attention, but she thought the whole idea was stupid. There was a laser tag room in the back but, much to Cassie and her fathers offense, you had to be at least thirteen years old to do that. So here she was, confined to climbing the same rope course until her parents decided it was time to leave. Over the cafe, across the arcade, along side the wall, beside the _out-of-order_ rock climbing section, across the arcade _agai_ -

_Wait._

Crawling a little to her left, Cassie looked down and studied the rock climbing section that had been roped off with yellow tape. There was a sign outside of it, but from her perch Cassie couldn't see the words. It was a large and grey, protruding from the wall and went even higher than the rope course did. There were brightly colored handles on the rock (which didn't look too much like an actual rock, if you asked Cassie), and at the very top sat a large, red button with a light bulb next to it. Glancing back to see if her parents were watching, Cassie made quick work over to the section.

Once she got as close as she could, she reached around her and unhooked the ropes that attached her to the course. Placing them neatly in a pile next to her on one of the few solid pieces of the course, she reached forward and grabbed the top rope while placing her feet on the bottom thicker rope. Wobbly at first, Cassie nearly turned around to the safety of the solid base, but took a deep breath and inched forward. After a few steps and stinging hands, she had finally reached where the rock sat and realized her plan wasn't as thought out as it should've been.

The rock was a good distance away, but there were a bunch of handles in Cassie's eyesight that would surely hold her weight if she could make the jump. Though, glancing down at the long drop, Cassie wasn't so sure about jumping off of a rope onto a fake rock. She could hear her Uncle Sam's voice in her head now, saying  _"you can do whatever you set your mind to, Sassy Cassie"_ and hear her fathers response of  _"well, maybe not **everything** , Cas". _

Cassie believes this is one of those _not everything_ instances.

"Cassie? Where are you, honey?" Her mommy's voice called. Cassie couldn't turn around to tell how far away she was, but she didn't sound close. She pondered for a moment calling for help. Her daddy would know what to do. He always did, but a memory from a few months ago rushed into Cassie's head.

She'd gone through the Haunted House with her Aunt Chloe, because Uncle Charlie had said she was  _too little_ and it would scare her. She came out with her head held high and nose in the air. Her mother had laughed with her Uncle Sam as he lit a cigarette.

" _She's ours, Nathan."_ He had said, clapping his brother on his back, who looked stricken at the idea. " _Bravery and pride. She's a Drake, alright."_

Cassie narrowed her eyes at the rock before her, determination setting in.

"I'm a Drake," she whispered, just as she took the jump.

A few things happened at once.

One, multiple shouts of  _Cassie!_ were heard from behind her, her fathers being the loudest.

Two, Cassie felt  _amazing, free, this must be what flying feels like_ as she soared to across the air to the rock.

Three, she hit the rock way sooner than she thought, and it  _hurt._

She grasped onto one of the handles with one hand before she fell, holding her breath and squeezing her eyes shut. For a moment, it was quiet. Cassie opened her eyes and peered up at her hand, holding her weight on the red handle.

Beeming, she whispered, "I did it."

" _Cassie!"_ Her fathers voice shouted from below her, and Cassie looked down to see him jumping the yellow tape and metal bars keeping people out of the section that Cassie hadn't seen before - _oops-_ and rushing to stop below her. "Oh my god, Cassie- what are you  _doing?"_

"I jumped." Cassie blinked, her voice meek, the adrenaline wearing off. "Crap, am I in big trouble?"

"Oh, you are in  _so_ much trouble, Cassandra Morgan." Her father pointed up at her. "Now- stay there, I'm coming up to get you."

"Sir!" An employee dressed in the standard all black uniform exclaimed, running up to the metal bars. "The rock climbing isn't stable yet- how that handle is even holding her I don't know-"

Before the employee could finish, Cassie heard a cracking noise and looked up to see the red handle starting to bend. Letting out a shout, she quickly grasped the blue handle not far from it with her other hand, but it snapped instantly and Cassie lost her balance.

For a moment, time stood still and Cassie was free falling, staring up at the ceiling decorated with stars and planets. Her arms swung wildly and she felt a scream get trapped in her throat, before she was suddenly wrapped in strong arms and everything was silent for a moment until-

"Oh god, oh god." Her father clutched her close, and Cassie buried her face in his neck, tears stinging behind her eyes. "You okay, baby girl? Cassie?"

"'M okay." She whispered, blinking back the tears. "I made the jump with no ropes."

"You.. took the ropes off?" Her father leaned back, staring at her dumbfounded. "To jump to the rock?"

"I wanted to climb?" Cassie attempted lamely, shrinking back as her mother made her way through the crowd of people. "'M really sorry."

"Cassie, oh my god- are you okay? How did you get up there? Nate, is she okay?" Her mother took her from her father, sitting her on the ground and putting her hands on Cassie's cheeks, checking her over for injuries.

"She's fine." Nathan Drake mumbled, blinking at his daughter as she stood in front of her mother, looking every bit her twin as she was his in personality. People gathered around, wanting to know if the little girl was okay and admiring Nate on his quick thinking to catch her, but Nate only had eyes for his daughter. The little blonde five year old reassuring her mother that she's okay, that she just wanted to make the jump because she got bored with doing the same course over and over again, that she was _sorry_ and  _she'd never do it again_ but Nate recognized that look in her eyes. It was one he's seen in the mirror everyday since he was young, the same one his older brother has.

Cassandra Morgan Drake had gotten her first taste of adventure, and Nathan isn't quite sure the world is ready to deal with that.

 

 

 

 

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

_January 2 nd, 2024_

_The Drake-Fisher Household_

_Six years old_

* * *

 

Something was wrong with her daughter.

Elena Fisher-Drake stood by the stove, the strong aroma from the spaghetti in the pot behind her overtaking the room. Cassie sat in her usual spot at the table -between her and Nate-, wearing her usual baggy t-shirt and the always-present necklace Chloe had given her years ago as a birthday gift, but she was staring at the table with the concentrated look she usually gets when she's thinking too hard about something. The same look, Elena had noted in the back of her mind years ago when it began appearing, that Nate got when he was focusing on a difficult puzzle or translation. What this isn't unusual behavior for Cassie -she tends to backtrack into her own mind sometimes and disappear for _hours_ -, Elena knows her daughter well enough to know that something is off.

Deciding to test her theory, Elena grabbed a bowl from the cabinet and scooped some spaghetti into it, throwing a piece of garlic bread on top. She made her way towards the table and placed in front of Cassie, a playful grin upon her face, but her daughter took no notice.

"Thanks," she mumbles, grabbing her fork and lazily poking at the noodles, her chin resting in her left palm.

Elena's grin fell from her face, worry lines beginning to appear on her forehead just as Nate lopped into the house, dirt on his hands and shirt from dusting off some rare artifact or another they'd found on their recent trip to Egypt. While they'd agreed to work on a strictly legal basis when they started  _D &F Fortunes_, Elena often found herself scolding her forty-four year old husband for stealing ( _"I'm just borrowing it, Elena."_) little trinkets or treasures from their adventures ( _"It's safer with me than rotting away under some ruins, anyway.").  
_

Nate opened his mouth to speak, but Elena shook her head slightly, nodding down to their daughter. Nathan glanced down curiously, his brows furrowing, before noticing the bowl of spaghetti with bread on top. His eyes widened slightly. Elena nodded.

If there was one thing Cassandra Morgan Drake could  _not stand_ , it was for her food to touch.

 

 

"Cassie? Baby?" Nate approached slowly, hands out before him like he was nearing a rabid animal. Elena rolled her eyes. "Are you feeling okay?"

 _Oh, dear lord_.

"What?" Cassie glanced up at her father, pushing her glasses father back on up nose. She sent him a strange look. "I'm fine. Are, uh..  _you_ feeling okay?"

Elena, deciding to take over before Nathan said something royally stupid, pulled her chair up beside her daughter and took a seat. She reached forward and combed the little rebellious piece of blonde hair behind Cassie's ear, the same piece of hair that always fell out of Elena's own ponytails.

"We've just noticed you've been acting a little different lately, sweetheart." Elena explained, motioning towards the now-soggy food before her daughter. Cassie blinked, moving back as if just noticing it. Narrowing her eyes in disgust, she pushes it away. "You know you can come to us. About _anything_."

Cassie glanced sideways at her father, then back at her mother, before sighing and looking down at her lap. Her glasses slid down her nose, and she hurriedly pushed them back up. She whispered something.

"What was that?" Nate grabbed the other chair, sitting in it backwards and flashing his daughter an encouraging smile.

"Um." Cassie started swinging her legs back and forth under the table, a tell-tale sign of nervousness, and Elena tried not to roll her eyes again.  _Another trait from her father. Can't sit still for anything._ "Are.. you guys getting a divorce?"

For a moment, Nate and Elena sat in stunned silence, staring at each other over their daughters blonde head, neither knowing what to say. Nate opened his mouth to say something,  _anything,_ before thinking better of it and shutting it. Elena gives him a helpless shrug, bending down to grasp her daughters chin and force her to look up.  
  
"Now where on earth did you hear that?" She questioned.

Cassie sighed, her shoulder slumping. "Kent Miller said when your parents fight, they get a divorce. That's what his parents did. His daddy left." She surprised them both by glancing up at her father, tears beginning to spill from her eyes. "I heard you guys fighting last night. And.. I don't want you to leave."

"Whoa, hang on." Nate hopped off his chair, kneeling on the floor in front of his daughter and grabbing her face in his hands. He stares into her eyes, so identical to the first, and only, woman he'd ever truly loved. "Cassandra Morgan, you know that I am not leaving you.  _Ever._ What's gotten into you?"

Cassie responds quietly, a conversation that now only exists between a father and his daughter, and Elena sits aside, trying to remember  _what on earth_ she and Nate had been arguing about the night bef-

_Oh._

_Oh!_

Stifling a laugh, Elena runs her hand over her daughters head and presses a kiss to her cheek. "Sweetie, your father and I weren't arguing. We were just.. _wrestling_."

"Ah, yes." Nate coughs, his cheeks turning pink and Elena grins because _oh my god, that's so cute._ "Just a friendly wrestling match. Between your mother and I. Absolutely no arguing whatsoever."  
  
"But, I heard you yell." Cassie scrunches up her nose. Nate blanches, looking towards his wife for help. Elena only grins.

_This is too much fun._

"Um, yes. Because I was.. losing. Look, Cas- I love you, and your mother, very much. I wouldn't ever leave my girls, especially my little girl. Who else would I watch Unsolved Mysteries with?" He lightly bumps his knuckles under Cassie's chin, giving her a smirk. She giggles in response, tears long gone now. Elena grabs the food from in front of her, placing it on the ground for Vicky to eat later, and goes to make her daughter a new plate. She nearly drops everything she's holding when she hears her daughter ask her husband,

"So, can I wrestle with you guys tonight?"


End file.
